Opinion / Columnist
Vultures around Mnangagwa plundering country resources in daylight
11 Jan 2022 at 16:22hrs | Views
When Mnangagwa (ED) took over the reins of ZANU PF and the leadership of the country, he declared that he was, ‘as soft as wool.' As we have all watched the man on the job, it is now evident that ED is nothing but a replica of the bearded dragon, very friendly and very nice. The problem is nice doesn't offer adequate protection when danger arrives.
As someone who ascended to power through a soft coup, ED tries to utilize niceness to build his leadership teams. Here are there he invokes Mugabe's tactics by invoking, ‘masimba anobva kuvanhu' (power comes from the people) nonsense. Most of ED leadership comrades are nice, some of we have never heard of before and they enjoy keeping it that way.
The problem however is, outwardly, the team looks good but ED is in constant crisis mode; he is constantly baffled by how quickly a couple of huffs and puffs like black market rates, elections, etc. blow the whole thing down, leaving fights, threats to fight littered all the way to shake-shake house.
ED must quickly understand that nice does not work. In light of trends in the current landscape such as the COVID-19 and a troubling economic meltdown in Zimbabwe, it's time to reimagine his approach - ditch Nice for his more mature older sibling: Kindness.
Kindness has the power to motivate teams, boost productivity and foster a culture that attracts and retains top talent. Niceness causes uncertainty. Nice, like cubes of ice melt under the heat. The polite disposition of a nice person quickly fades when the heat rises. I know ED is tough but his pretense to be nice is breeding uncertainty, causing economic chaos, resulting in leaders around him feeling burdened by the chore of navigating their shifts in temperament.
If it is not too late for him, ED must stand firm in his internal conviction to be respectful, even if the favor isn't returned. Because of his consistency, he can earn trust and gain influence with ease.
All the policies ED announces are good policies for Zimbabwe but his focus on being liked; on being nice is his biggest let down. I am not saying he has to be mean, just be kind and follow through on policy enforcements. ED cannot continue to run in circles because he wants to manage his reputation in front of vultures plundering the economy in daylight.
What we need as Zimbabweans are leaders motivated by what they can give, even if there's no immediate payoff. We want leaders who can see through the eyes of empathy and can connect to others' needs. They must focus on genuine goodwill with no strings attached; this will create a patriotic citizen.
As someone who ascended to power through a soft coup, ED tries to utilize niceness to build his leadership teams. Here are there he invokes Mugabe's tactics by invoking, ‘masimba anobva kuvanhu' (power comes from the people) nonsense. Most of ED leadership comrades are nice, some of we have never heard of before and they enjoy keeping it that way.
The problem however is, outwardly, the team looks good but ED is in constant crisis mode; he is constantly baffled by how quickly a couple of huffs and puffs like black market rates, elections, etc. blow the whole thing down, leaving fights, threats to fight littered all the way to shake-shake house.
ED must quickly understand that nice does not work. In light of trends in the current landscape such as the COVID-19 and a troubling economic meltdown in Zimbabwe, it's time to reimagine his approach - ditch Nice for his more mature older sibling: Kindness.
Kindness has the power to motivate teams, boost productivity and foster a culture that attracts and retains top talent. Niceness causes uncertainty. Nice, like cubes of ice melt under the heat. The polite disposition of a nice person quickly fades when the heat rises. I know ED is tough but his pretense to be nice is breeding uncertainty, causing economic chaos, resulting in leaders around him feeling burdened by the chore of navigating their shifts in temperament.
If it is not too late for him, ED must stand firm in his internal conviction to be respectful, even if the favor isn't returned. Because of his consistency, he can earn trust and gain influence with ease.
All the policies ED announces are good policies for Zimbabwe but his focus on being liked; on being nice is his biggest let down. I am not saying he has to be mean, just be kind and follow through on policy enforcements. ED cannot continue to run in circles because he wants to manage his reputation in front of vultures plundering the economy in daylight.
What we need as Zimbabweans are leaders motivated by what they can give, even if there's no immediate payoff. We want leaders who can see through the eyes of empathy and can connect to others' needs. They must focus on genuine goodwill with no strings attached; this will create a patriotic citizen.
Source - Sam Wezhira
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